1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement of a cooling apparatus for cooling with a refrigerant an electricity storing apparatus which is adapted for installation in electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles and has an electricity storing element such as an electric double layer capacitor and a secondary battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, an electricity storing apparatus and a high-voltage distributor which are inherently provided on these vehicles, are, in many cases, disposed at a front nose part, under a floor of a passenger compartment, on a rear side of a rear seat or in a trunk thereof. In particular, in a case where they are disposed on the rear side of the rear seat, a good space efficiency can be provided and a related-art vehicle body can be used without changing the structure thereof. Furthermore, since the high safety can be ensured at the time of collision, the rear side of the rear seat constitutes one of best locations on the vehicle where the electricity storing apparatus is disposed when the apparatus is installed in the vehicle.
In a case where this electricity storing apparatus is installed in a fuel cell vehicle, the apparatus can store apart of generated electric power which is generated by a fuel cell or through a rotational force of a driving motor. In particular, the electricity storing apparatus is used for storing a surplus generated electric power, for example, which is generated when the speed of the fuel cell vehicle is decreased. For example, the electric power so stored is supplied to the driving motor when accelerating the fuel cell vehicle so as to assist the fuel cell. In addition, this electricity storing apparatus generates the heat through its electrochemical reaction or its electric resistance when electricity is charged and discharged.
Consequently, since a temperature of the electricity storing apparatus is increased while the vehicle is running, it becomes inevitable to cool the same apparatus. Due to this, a fan is disposed for cooling the electricity storing apparatus. However, in a case where the fan is disposed on the rear side of the rear seat, the cooling fan, a duct or the like which constitute a cooling apparatus are disposed adjacent to the electricity storing apparatus, the high-voltage distributor or the like. Further, air within the passenger compartment is drawn in as a refrigerant from an upper portion of the rear seat to the cooling apparatus, and the refrigerant so drawn in cools the electricity storing apparatus and is thereafter discharged.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views showing an arrangement of a related-art cooling apparatus. FIG. 2A is a perspective view thereof when viewed from a left rear corner of the vehicle. FIG. 2B is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line B—B in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, an electricity storing apparatus 21 is disposed on a rear side of a rear seat 22 of a vehicle 200. An inlet port 23a is provided in an upper portion of the electricity storing apparatus 21. A refrigerant such as air inside a passenger compartment is drawn in from the inlet port 23a through an inlet duct 23 to the electricity storing apparatus 21. Discharge ducts 24 are tightly joined to fans 27. The refrigerant so drawn in cools the electricity storing apparatus 21 and is thereafter discharged by the fans 27 through the discharge ducts 24. Due to this, the fans 27 are disposed within or near the passenger compartment. Note that reference numeral 25 denotes a trunk, reference numeral 26 denotes a floor surface and reference numeral 28 denotes a space below the floor.
In the related-art arrangement where the electricity storing apparatus is disposed on the rear side of the rear seat, however, since the cooling apparatus for cooling the electricity storing apparatus and the high-voltage distributor is situated close to the rear seat, there is caused a problem that the operation noise generated by the fans enters the passenger compartment.
In addition, the fans which generate noise and discharge ports of the refrigerant which constitute outlets of the operation noise so generated are provided on the rear side of the rear seat, and they are in many cases disposed in the vicinity of the electricity storing apparatus and the high-voltage distributor in such a manner as to project into the trunk. Due to this, in the case of a vehicle having a vehicle body configuration in which the trunk is not independent and an opening in a tail gate is wide, there is caused a problem that the effective volume of the trunk becomes small. In addition, there is also caused a problem that an installation of luggage in the trunk, as well as loading and unloading are difficult.